Apple accessories to look out for in 2022

Apple is probably the world's most famous digital technology corporation. Each of their new presentation becomes a sensation. Almost the whole world follows the release of new gadgets from Apple, and Cupertino has become a new Mecca for the army of apple fans.

This was entirely facilitated by the marketing genius of Steve Jobs, one of its founders. It was thanks to non-standard marketing moves and an unsurpassed advertising campaign that Apple products soared to the very top of the world business.

The release of the first iPhone was a turning point in the history of the development of mobile phones. Incredibly talented engineers and programmers worked on its creation, but without Steve Jobs, it would not have become so popular. It is to him that Apple should be grateful for its rapid growth in the global market.

With the death of Steve Jobs, the situation has not changed for the better, nevertheless, Apple is still on top and their new products undoubtedly deserve attention.

Everyone knows their products such as iphone, ipad, ipod and other popular Apple devices, however, in addition to those listed, there is a whole mountain of accessories for them that you might not have heard of. Some of them we will analyze in this article..

Apple watch

And the first on the list will be the Apple watch, which has become one of the most popular Apple accessories since its release.

The first model of this watch was released in 2015 and, despite the fact that by that time Samsung, LG and other well-known companies had released their smart watches, the apple watch easily surpassed them in sales.

Since 2015, they have undergone many changes: the design has changed a lot, the hardware has become better, errors and software bugs have been fixed, and in general they have begun to work much faster.

This is evidenced even by the synchronization time. In the first version, it was necessary to wait at least an hour until the clock was adjusted. AT Series 4 synchronization takes no more than 10 minutes

Today we will consider the fourth, latest version of this watch.

The watch has become a little larger than the old models. From 38/42 mm they have grown to 40/44 mm.This is especially noticeable when looking at the display. It really has become 30% larger, and because of the thin frames, this is especially noticeable.

The design has not changed much, except that the power button was sunk a little more into the case, and the back side became ceramic so as not to scratch the hand. The branded wheel for scrolling the tape on the right side remained unchanged.

The watch is dust and water resistant and can be submerged to a depth of 50 meters.

There are a huge variety of dials that display:

• weather information;
• Calendar;
• List of contacts;
• Sports applications.

And much more.

Among other things, they have a built-in gyroscope, accelerometer, light sensor, Wi-Fi, GPS, heart rate monitor and other sensors.

You can calmly talk on them without fear that the interlocutor will not hear your voice.

They also have an interesting feature that allows you to do a kind of ECG. To do this, you need to put your finger on the crown of the watch, it will pass a weak current through the body, and you will see the results on the screen.

And although this technology is still very far from perfect, its functionality is very limited and does not work anywhere except in the USA, the idea itself is quite interesting.

• Huge functionality. The watch contains a whole sea of ​​necessary and not very indicators.
• High standard of dust and moisture resistance
• Ease of use. It has always been convenient to use the apple watch, and the new version also has a larger display.

• The battery life is only 16-17 hours, so they will constantly have to be charged;
• Many features do not work in Russia, such as LTE;
• Some have complained about the lack of privacy protection.

The price is from 31,000 rubles.

Summing up, we can say that this is probably one of the most useful accessories from Apple, if not the most useful.

Headphones

EarPods

Over the long history of the company with the bitten apple, the design of their headphones has changed many times. There were both successful models and outright hack-work (hello, Apple In-Ear Headphones).

But in 2012, everything changed with the release of the EarPods headset. The redesigned design is a new milestone in headphone production. Cupertino designers worked tirelessly for 3 years on the design of headphones and created their own reference standard, which is still adhered to.

Headphones are delivered in a beautiful white box, tightly closed with a lid.

The design at the time of release was very unusual, and even now no one except apple produces headphones of this shape. They lie comfortably in the ears, do not fly out and do not create any discomfort. They have a built-in microphone, so they can be used as a headset.

There is a control panel on the wire. Its functionality has not changed compared to other models.

With it, you can still increase / decrease the volume, switch tracks by pressing the middle button (twice - the next track; three times - the previous one), answer calls and reject unwanted calls (long press the middle button).

If everything is great with design and functionality, then everything is not so simple with sound. If low frequencies are reproduced with a bang, then lovers of heavy music will obviously not like the sound.

But if you are a fan of acoustic music with bass lines or pop music with electronics, you will be pleasantly surprised.

• Comfort and design.Headphones sit in the ears like a glove, while not causing any inconvenience when wearing. Ears do not get tired even after 5 hours of listening to music.
• The remote control, which allows you to do many things without taking out your phone, is a plus for them.
• Mostly good sound
• High build quality. The headphones do not scratch, the cable does not break, does not get confused, and generally lives for a long time.

• Bad high frequencies. Metal lovers are better off choosing something else, as at high frequencies the sound merges into a mess.
• Lack of soundproofing. In noisy rooms or the subway, the sound will have to be twisted to the maximum, but even this may not be enough.
• Inconvenient straight plug.

EarPods are high quality headphones. The Cupertino team worked hard to give them the right shape and they did it. Most styles of music, especially bass-heavy ones, play well. It is a pleasure to wear them, and, oddly enough, their price is not high. In 2022, they can generally be purchased for $15-20.

AirPods

Becoming the next link in the evolution of EarPods, Apple's wireless headphones, released in 2016, immediately caused a real controversy around them.

Someone did not like that they did not bring a new design, someone complained that they could fly out when walking, but very soon after going on sale, critics had to admit they were wrong.

The stumbling block of all Apple products has always been convenience, simplicity and rich functionality.

These headphones is a great example of this.

They are available in a convenient and beautiful case, which is also a charger.At the bottom it has a Lightning connector for charging, and in the middle there is a button for syncing with the phone when it is first connected or connected to another device.

Despite the fact that they have a button to synchronize with the device, they are detected by the iPhone, one has only to bring the case with the headphones to it. After that, the battery level of the headphones and the case is displayed in the notification bar.

It can also be viewed through any device that is synced with your phone.

A full charge of each earphone is enough for 5 hours of continuous operation. If you store them in a case, then this time will be 24 hours.

The charging module does not take up much space, you can carry it with you all the time and from time to time put the headphones in it for recharging. And if they are still discharged, then it supports the fast charging function, allowing you to charge the headphones for another 3 hours of work in 15 minutes.

By doing these simple manipulations and charging the case at home, you can generally forget that they can be discharged.

Air pods not only allow you to listen to music, but are also a full-fledged headset, which is very convenient to control.

When you take one earpiece out of your ear, the music is automatically paused.

To receive a call, you need to tap twice on the earpiece, the same is to hang up the call. With the same double tap, you can call Siri, right? she doesn't understand Russian very well.

If you don't want to talk to Siri, you can change the double-tap functionality to various options in the settings. For example, you can turn off the music with this gesture.

Those people who said that the earpiece can easily fall out of the ear with this design can calm down.They fit snugly in either ear and can fly out only if you shake your head very hard. But yes, it’s still not worth taking them to a metal concert.

During a conversation, the interlocutor hears you perfectly, and you also hear him perfectly, the microphone works flawlessly.

The sound in the air pods is quite impressive for open-back headphones.

A large volume margin allows you not to worry about audibility on the street or in strong winds. The built-in W1 processor, which deals with sound processing, is responsible for clear and high-quality reproduction of speech and music.

The sound, of course, does not reach professional headphones, but for everyday use they give excellent sound.

Oddly enough, they can even be connected to android devices, although the ability to pause the music is lost by taking out the earphone and not checking the charge level. Otherwise, everything works fine, even "Ok Google" is turned on by voice instead of Siri. So they can be considered as an option even if you don't have an iphone.

• Fully intuitive connection to Apple devices;
• Good autonomy, fast charging option;
• Clear and tight sound;
• Incredibly natural voice quality;
• Simple control, work with a voice assistant (for example, the "Stop playing music" command pauses the current audio file in any application);
• Easy to use headset and charging module (even a child will understand everything);
• No difficulties with communication, activity during the day and duplicated connections;
• Despite the lack of specialized sweat protection, the headset can be used for running, because they do not have a cord, they do not cling, they are comfortable to wear for a long time.

• After connecting (for Android phone), the display does not accurately show the state of charge of the headset, which requires reconnection;
• If you use AirPods on various Apple gadgets, then after returning to work with the iPhone, the tiny headphone indicator, which is usually located in the notification panel of the device, may disappear;
• In the process of connecting to an iPhone, all signals from the gadget are heard in the earbuds, for example, if you type SMS, key sets will be heard, but the volume level can be reduced;
• If you open the case without a headset inside, the display does not show information about charging the case itself;
• There is no provision for using the headset with several devices at the same time, so the user will have to choose whether it will be an iPhone or a TV.

The cost of the gadget is about 12,000 rubles.

The Air pods 2 version went on sale in 2019. This device has increased battery life and improved sound quality.

Air pods can rightfully be considered one of the best accessories for apple (and not only) products, which will undoubtedly make your life much more convenient.

apple pencil

Back in 2007, at the presentation of Apple, Steve Jobs asked the legendary question “Do you need a stylus?”. In 2015, the guys at Apple responded to it by saying, “Yes, you do.”

Only if you are a professional artist or intend to become one.

For starters, it can only be used with the iPad Pro and iPad 2018 by purchasing the Pro creative app.

For artists, this accessory has many pros and cons. Let's take a look at them

• Response speed. The high-performance processor provides reading speeds up to 240 times per second, which allows you to completely ignore the delay.It interacts with the tablet in the same way as a pencil with paper;
• Sensitivity. The pencil distinguishes up to 2048 degrees of pressure and can distinguish the angle of inclination. This further enhances the feeling that you are holding a pencil in your hands;
• High autonomy. A full charge of the pencil is enough for 12 hours of continuous use. You can charge it simply by inserting it into the iPad via the Lightning connector;
• Convenience and neatness. When you draw with an apple pencil, you can safely put your hands on the screen. This will not affect the quality of the drawing in any way. It will not rub off or smear;
• Copy function. You can now redraw images by placing the drawing sheet on the iPad. The pencil will scrupulously transfer each outlined line;
• Extended functionality. With the help of apple pencil, you can not only draw in Pro creative, but also take notes in a special note-taking application, as well as highlight interesting places in text and screenshots, add your own illustrations and comments.

Of course, the apple technique is not the embodiment of the divine on earth, and it also has its drawbacks.

• Lack of support for devices other than iPad pro and iPad 2018;
• The need to buy a separate case for the stylus or a special case for the ipad with a compartment for this pencil, since these two iPad models do not have a special mount for it;
• When working only with a stylus, the functionality of the ipad itself is limited. Without a finger, it is impossible to swipe up or down; you cannot work with Slide Over and Split View modes;
• On many Wacom styluses, the back side can be used as an eraser, allowing you to erase your drawing. When working with Apple pencil, you will have to select a special mode for this in the drawing program.

The Apple pencil is undoubtedly a very useful accessory for illustrators. Its main advantage is that it does not need a connection to a computer to draw. You can draw on it immediately, like on a sheet of paper.

At the same time, due to such sensitivity, working with it is almost the same as working with a regular pencil, but at the same time you will not spoil the drawing by awkwardly running your hand over it.

The price is about 8000 rubles.

Docking stations

If the usual way to charge your phone or other accessory from a special adapter seems inconvenient and / or boring to you, then there are a huge variety of different docking stations for Apple products. We will now consider some of them.

Branded docking station from Apple

The first step is to pay attention to the Apple branded product.

The station looks extremely minimalistic. It is a simple plastic or metal stand with a lightning connector and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It can be connected to a power outlet or to a computer and set the gadget on top in an upright position at a slight slope.

The wire for connection, however, will have to be purchased separately.

• The station is quite weighty, and almost does not slide on the table;
• Possibility to connect headphones;
• The height of the connector allows you to connect the phone directly in the case.

• The phone / tablet is held only on the connector, there are no devices holding it;
• The price is 3600 rubles.

3 in 1 docking station by Coteetci

Not only the brand itself wants to join Apple accessories. Many third-party companies create accessories for apple products.

One of the best is the little-known Chinese company Coteetci.

One of their inventions was hybrid charging for 3 apple devices at once: Apple watch, iphone and air pods.

The device is made of aluminum and is presented in 3 different colors: Silver, space gray and rose gold.

All wires are initially integrated into the station, except for the apple watch tablet. It should be inserted into a special mount and lead the wire down through a special channel. The charging station is powered by a power bank or computer.

All accessories are securely fixed and will not fall, moreover, the iPhone can be safely removed with one hand.

This device costs 3900 rubles, which is equal to the cost of the original station from apple, but here you can charge 3 devices at once and there are wires in the kit.

Advantages and disadvantages:

• Ability to charge 3 devices at once
• Includes wires for iPhone and AirPods;
• Sturdy aluminum base.

• Price. Although this station is well made, its price is still too high compared to its Chinese counterparts.

Belkin express dock

Another alternative to the branded station is the Belkin charger.

Despite the fact that it is made of plastic, it weighs quite a lot and does not slip on the table due to the plate made of soft and elastic material.

The connector itself protrudes slightly above the case. Thanks to this, you can install an iPhone in a case on it. However, only if it is not too thick. Some cases with a wide bottom will not fit this station.

The wire is built-in, quite long and of good quality.

The connector itself can be moved back and forth, adjusting the angle of the device.

• A design feature that allows the phone to rest against the back cover if necessary, which increases its stability;
• The ability to change the angle of the device.

• Integrated cable.

The cost is about 3000 rubles.

Cases

Apple technology, like all other smartphones or tablets, tends to scratch, break, or otherwise react to careless handling.

To protect against accidents, engineers and designers from Cupertino, and not only them, have come up with many different covers.

Silicon case and leather case

These models are the most popular iPhone cases at the moment. They are made of silicone and leather, respectively. This is an ageless classic for all apple product owners. Their design has remained virtually unchanged from model to model, except that the iPhone X has a cutout at the bottom for more convenient installation of the phone in the Dock-station.

These 2 covers are distinguished by the material from which they are made. The color palette may also vary depending on the model.

Although the leather case traditionally costs more, it wipes off faster and loses its presentation than the silicone one. But it looks much better and dust does not stick to it. The average price for it is 4000 rubles

Silicone is stronger, but incredibly easy to collect dust. If you need to clean your pocket from dust, a silicone case is your choice. She literally magnetizes to him and it is not so easy to remove her.

It is also heavier than leather, but it protects the phone itself better. It costs an average of 3000 rubles.

As a result, the choice of a cover is envy from the user himself: You like the style and are disgusted with dust at the gene level - your choice is Leather case.

If you want to throw your iPhone on the pavement and don't give a damn about the dust, silicon case is your choice.

Apple Leather Folio

In 2017, Apple suddenly decided to release its own version of the book case, which is quite popular in the post-Soviet space. The Chinese have already made an innumerable number of such cases of different designs, colors, shades and designs.

And what is so unusual about an apple case?

Well, except that the exorbitant cost of 7,000 rubles. Other than that, it's just a regular flip case with credit card slots, which should close with magnets.

But he's not very good at it. Magnets do not attach well, the lid dangles and is generally inconvenient to use.

Buying this case is only worth it if you have nowhere to put 7,000 rubles, for which, by the way, you can buy some Xiaomi. Or you need to launder money obtained illegally.

In other cases, it makes no sense to acquire it.

Smart Battery Case

If you still have the desire to spend 7,000 rubles on a case, you should take a closer look at the Apple Smart Battery Case.

Apple only released these cases for the iphone 6 and 7, but there are similar third-party versions for other versions of the iphone. Which, moreover, are much cheaper.

From the inside, this case is lined with soft microfiber, and it is made of silicone. The case has a built-in battery with a capacity of 1800 mAh, which sticks out in the form of an impromptu hump on the back side.

Not the best design solution, of course, but the autonomy of the phone increases significantly.

The case has built-in antennas to prevent loss of communication quality, as well as a built-in microphone and a hole that outputs sound from the speaker through a special grille so that the sound quality does not drop, and the interlocutor always hears you perfectly.

The battery of the case takes 2 hours to charge. When in contact with a smartphone, it gives it all the energy in 1 hour and 15 minutes, allowing you to charge it by another 70%. Notifications show the charge level of the case and phone.

Connecting the charger, the iphone itself and the case begin to charge.

One downside of the case is the inconvenient headphone jack that most L-shaped devices won't fit into. However, with Earpods, such problems will not arise.

Apple iPad Smart case

If the iPhone can do without a case, then the iPad is simply vital, especially if you carry it in a bag with various items that pose a direct threat to the screen.

Of course, the apple company also foresaw this and released their own version of what the perfect case for their product should look like.

Although there are a huge number of different cases for the iPad from third-party manufacturers that deserve a separate review. One of the most popular is the case from apple - iPad Smart case.

It is made, depending on the model, of polyurethane or leather in the form of a book. The back is like a silicone case that completely fits the iPad. There are only cutouts for the connectors for the camera, charger and headphones. The inside of the cover is lined with microfiber.

From above, it closes with a cover with built-in magnets, thanks to which it fits snugly enough to the screen, so it does not require any additional fasteners.

The cover can be transformed into a convenient stand, with which you can put the iPad on the table and watch videos, or lay it at an angle for convenient work.

Closing the cover automatically locks the screen. To unlock it, just open it a little.

The only disappointment is the price. It reaches 7500 rubles for the latest iPad models.

For at least half the amount, you can find a decent alternative in the Chinese market, but if you don't want to bother with the search and money allows, this case will be a good option for your iPad.

Summing up

Almost all Apple products have a high price. In part, it is justified by the fact that Apple scrupulously monitors the little things. Their products always look elegant, pleasant to the touch, reliable and packed in beautiful boxes.

However, most of the price tag is definitely brand markup and advertising campaign costs. Nevertheless, every year there are millions of people who are ready to overpay for convenience and comfort.

Can we blame them for this, we think not.